There is no doubt that the RED HYDROGEN ONE is going to undergo some radical changes. This article aims to explain and demonstrates HYDROGEN’s project complexity and how RED Digital Cinema has reached deadlock like many other ambitious companies. Also, we’ll try to analyze future possibilities and business directions. The H4V endgame has begun.
Just in case you have been living in a cave, we tell you that RED HYDROGEN ONE project is under route recalculation. RED has removed all website info regarding the HYDROGEN modules, followed by Jim Jannard (RED’s founder) statement about a new and exciting direction in regard to the HYDROGEN project.
HYDROGEN ONE: The product that the tech blogs love to hate
We wrote about 10 articles regarding one of the most intriguing gadgets ever made. The HYDROGEN ONE is the product that the tech blogs love to hate. Tons of bad reviews and critics all around the web like they wanted this to fail. It’s not a lamentation. The HYDROGEN ONE is not dead and RED is not going to kill it (yet). However, it’s a classic case of love to hate formula.
From glasses to cinema camera to holographic smartphone
The HYDROGEN ONE phone was founded by RED’s founder who also founded Oakley glasses. It means that we are talking about a hell of a successful founder. A true visioner and innovator.
Go check the number of patents of this man and you will see. I don’t know him personally but it’s not hard to tell that this man lives to innovate and to make the world a better place (the innovator’s mantra). If you are following on H4Vuser forum (the HYDROGEN’s forum) you can see for yourself that this man answers and contributes to the forum at eye level. I don’t familiar with many CEOs/ founders who act like that. Everyone should definitely appreciate that.
Modular cellphones are meant to fail
Modu had it all. A sexy product, a successful founder, top of the line engineers and cash. However, one thing was missing: A strong need
Jim reminds me Dov Moran which is an Israeli inventor, who invented the Disk-on-Key technology which was (and still is) a huge breakthrough.
The technology was sold to SanDisk. Dov made a fortune. Then he tried to invent a similar product, which was a modular- accessories based cellphone called Modu. An ocean of cash was poured in vain to revive the invention. Modu had it all. A sexy product, a successful founder, top of the line engineers and cash. However, one thing was missing: A strong need. People were not convinced that they should buy the Modu cell phone and its accessories. In that case, the accessories were ready but no one wanted to buy them. Dov Moran has failed and the investors killed the company. However, we have all been using Dov’s inventions in our cameras (memory cards) so we should thank him for that.
Developing cellphones is hard as hell
In 2014 I was a senior product manager at a high-tech company that developed an Android-based medical smartphone. The mission was to implement application connectivity with medical apparatus inside a smartphone made from scratch. The device was supposed to be able to produce indications regarding vital medical signs like heart rate, oxygen consumption and more. We succeed in making a fully operational production model. We sold about 300 devices. However, the consumers were extremely disappointed. The phone was not fast and slick enough (from a user experience point of view) compared to other smartphones like Apple or Samsung. The end was obvious: The board of directors killed the $10 million project.
The board of directors killed the $10 million project.
Back to RED
RED seems to be in a similar business situation. There are two options: Revitalization or elimination. According to Jim, the first option is preferred: “As I have said before, everything can and will change. A series of obstacles and then new discoveries have given us the opportunity to significantly improve the entire program” Jim said two weeks ago.
RED seems to be in a similar business situation. There are two options: Revitalization or elimination.
The question remains: what’s next? We wrote here about a new patent application filed by Jim and Jarred Land (RED’s president) that indicates about new compressed RAW output capabilities of the HYDROGEN ONE.
Nevertheless, it’s a theoretic assumption for now, till we hear some formal news from RED confirms this hypothesis.
What are your thoughts about HYDROGEN’s future? Comment below!
In re: the story above, I think the thing that sets the Hydrogen program apart from the ones that were cancelled is this: The Hydrogen is a camera extraordinaire with a free phone thrown in.
I personally bought a number of these as cameras, and use one of them as a phone which is also high end. I think the author’s suggestion of RED doing a Revitalization of the Hydrogen System as an attempt to gain market share could be correct… but having been a customer of RED Digital Cinema cameras from the R-1 days, I’ve seen the Founder make course changes simply because he found a better way and instead of holding back the better tech for the next product release, simply put it in the current product to give the customer the best tech now.
I think that is what is behind whatever is coming for the suggested upgrading of the H-1. Jim Jannard himself said the reason for cancelling the 2D module (in my mind that was going to be obsolete if pursued, with the new advances in lens tech and sensor tech we are or will soon be, seeing)… was that they discovered how to bring those and better capabilities on board the H-1 without having to do the module.
He could have waited and made the upgrade in the next next smart-phone cycle. Jim doesn’t seem to be in to cycles… more like release it while it’s hot.
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